Ever since the premiere of Dutton Ranch, fans have been asking if Rip Wheeler has been replaced. However, the answer isn’t as simple as a yes or no.
Will Rip Wheeler Depart the Series?
Cole Hauser is not leaving the show. Instead, Rip has found a much bigger role following his move from Montana to South Texas with Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly). On the Dutton Ranch premiere on Paramount+, the couple bought the Edwards Ranch in Rio Paloma to start a new chapter and build a life all their own.
Hauser recently told People about the dramatic change of scenery for the characters, saying, “It’s like going to the moon for these characters. They don’t understand the land, the people, the environment.” Reilly added, “And they don’t know them. They don’t know who these guys are. They have no idea what they’re dealing with.”
The question of whether Rip has been replaced is a thorny one. No longer just a ranch hand or hired fixer, he has transitioned from a brutal enforcer to an executive head of operations, eventually taking over cattle operations and managing the neighboring 10-Petal Ranch.
Who Will Take Rip’s Place?
Rather than one character taking over Rip’s mantle, the series has actually split his previous roles among new characters to do the heavy lifting back at the ranch.
Rip relies heavily on his two main contacts within the local operation, Azul (J.R. Villarreal) and Zachariah (Marc Menchaca). Zachariah is a rugged cowboy, fresh out of prison, who finds a second chance working the lines. Menchaca opened up to Us Weekly about his character’s background, saying, “He was a cowboy that they trashed around, and he’d go work on ranches here and there. He was just a rodeo guy who worked for a living. That’s the whole core of the cowboy life.” He added, “It’s really exciting, because you don’t know what’s going to happen, whether you’re on the back of a bucking horse or out there roping. There’s always a surprise element in it.”
In the show’s wider workforce dynamic, Rip’s old traits are mirrored in two very different characters: Azul and Chet (Hart Denton). Rip’s fiercely loyal, traditional, and hardworking side is represented by Azul. However, it was Chet who inherited Rip’s darker, more ruthless, and volatile tendencies. Early on, Chet showed his capacity for violence by severely beating two cowboys and leaving one in the hospital. But Chet’s loose-cannon persona soon backfired. After he was fired by Rip and attempted a desperate blackmail scheme, his story arc ended abruptly and permanently.
A Historic Ratings Success
This high-stakes structural change has been a huge win for the network. Dutton Ranch drew an incredible 12.9 million viewers worldwide in its first week alone, making it the biggest original series debut in the history of Paramount+. Critics have been just as kind, giving the 9-episode debut season a solid 89% on Rotten Tomatoes.
